Railway-signal.



Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. D. TAYLOR.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2,1913.

J. D. TAYLOR.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2, 1913.

'Patented Feb. 1, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG. 3

FIG. 4

INVENTOR auf.

THE COLUMHIA PLANDGRAPH ce.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

J. D. TAYLOR.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION min APR.2,1913.

1,170,362. Peeen'eed Feb. 1, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNE-SSES INVENTOR THB COLUMBIA PLANOUIAPH Co., WASHINGTON. D. c.l

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OEEIOE.

JOHN D. TAYLOR., 0F EDGEWOOD BOBDUGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB T0 THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN D. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Edgewood borough, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway signals.

The present invention relates to improvements on the invention set forth in my pending application filed August 28, 1912, Serial No. 717,436, for railway signals, renewed November 12, 1915, Serial No. 61,158.

I will describe two forms of railway signals each embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing one form of railway signal mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view showing in end elevation the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are views showing parts of the apparatus shown in the preceding views. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing one arrangement of controlling circuits for a railway signal having applied thereto the mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 6 is a fragmental view showing part of a bell-crank 19 shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Referring first particularly to Figs. 1 and -2 of the drawings, 37 is an inclosing casing provided with a removable head 37. J ournaled on ball-bearings, 1, 1 in the casing and head, respectively, is a spindle 15 which is constantly connected with a signal; the signal may be of any desired type, and may, for example, be similar to the signal shown and described in my co-pending application filed August 28, 1912, Serial No. 717,436, of which case the present application is a continuation. The casing 37 may be fixed to the signal case as shown in the co-pending application just mentioned.

Mounted in the casing 37 is an electric motor M which is operatively connected with and disconnected from the spindle 15 by means of a ratchet device R. This motor and ratchet'device are, as here shown, similar to the corresponding parts shown in my .co-pending application hereinbefore mentioned. Also mounted in the casing 37 is a holding device H, which device also is slmilar to the corresponding device H shown in my co-pending application hereinbefore mentioned. Briefly described, this device H comprises a stator 29 and a rotor 48. The stator 29 is formed of soft iron laminations clamped together and is held in place in the casing 37 by machine screws 29B. The stator is provided with a plu'- rality of equally spaced inwardly projecting poles 50, here shown as being eight in number, upon which poles is placed a stator winding 31, the winding being so arranged that the polarity of the poles 50 is alternately north and south. This winding is energized from a suitable source of alternating current at such times as the device is to hold the signal as will hereinafter appear. The rotor 48 is formed of soft iron laminations held between two'copper end rings 30 and mounted on a spider 12, which spider is secured to the spindle 15 by a pin 16. Embedded in the laminations of the rotor are a plurality of copper bars 52, the ends of which are electrically connected with the end rings 30. The number of these bars is equal to the number of stator poles, and the bars are equally spaced around the rotor.

The action of the holding device in holding the signal is due to the fact that when the winding 31 is energized, the magnetic flux from poles 50 tends to hold the rotor in such position that the bars 52 are opposite the middle points of the poles, because this is the position in which no current is induced in the bars; considerable force is required to move the rotor from this position, and the required force increases as the bars approach the edges of the poles. It will be seen, therefore, that to move the rotor from such position that a bar 52 is opposite the middle point of a pole (as point C in Fig. 2) to such position that the bar is midway between that pole and an adjacent pole (as point B in Fig. 2) requires force, and it will also be seen that the rotor will be moved in the opposite direction (from point B to point C) with an equal force by the electromagnetic induction. Hence, if, when current is applied to the stator winding, the rotor is rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, there will be a force assistingthe rotation while a bar is passing from A to C, and an equal and opposite force opposing the rotation while the bar is passing from C to B, so that the resultant electro-magnetic force on the rotor is Zero and the rotor will come to rest only because of friction. Similarly, if the rotor is rotating in the opposite direction, the rotation will be assisted while a bar 52 is passing from B to C, and opposed while the bar is passing from C to A. Hence, in order that the holding device as thus far described may hold the signal, it is essential that the rotor 46 be at rest or nearly so when the stator winding 31 is energized. It is desirable, however, to eliminate the force tending to assist rotation, thereby leaving only the force tending to oppose rotation, so that the holding device may be employed to retard the movement of the signal as well as to hold it. This desired result may be accomplished by denergizing the stator winding 31 while a rotor bar is moving from a point midway between two adjacent poles to a point opposite the middle of a pole, as from A to C or from B to C) and energizing the stator winding while the bar is moving from the latter position to the former position as from C to A or from C to B). This control of the stator winding may be effected by a circuit controller K which I will now describe.

Mounted on head 37a by means of screws 32 is a bracket 10. This bracket forms a support for two metallic rings 13 andl 14 which are arranged concentrically to the spindle 15. These rings are insulated from each other by a ring 16 of insulating material, and they are insulated from their support by rings 11 and 11a of insulating material. These five rings 11, 11a, 13, 14 and 16, are clamped between an end plate 100L and the bracket 10 by bolts 23, which pass through suitable holes in the five rings and are insulated from rings 13 and 14 by sleeves Q2 of insulating material. The rings 13 and 14 are provided with a plurality of inwardly projecting contact surfaces 33 formed by cutting recesses 34 in the inner periphery of the rings. These rings are so mounted that these contact surfaces are oppositely disposed. The number of contact surfaces on each ring equals the number of poles on the stator' 29; and the angular length of each contact urface 33 and of each recess 34 between surfaces is equal to half the angle between the middle points of adjacent stator poles 50. The ring 16 is provided with recesses 36 equal in number and in angular length to the recesses in rings 13 and 14. These recesses 36 leave projecting surfaces The rings are so mounted that surface 35 of insulating ring 16 comes opposite to recesses 34 in rings 13 and 14; the radii of the surfaces 33 and 35 are equal,

hence the inner periphery of the three rings forms a smooth surface upon which a roller 24 may travel. lVhen the roller is opposite the contact surfaces 33 of the rings 13 and 14 it electrically connects the two rings, thereby elo-sing the circuit for the stator winding as hereinafter explained; and when the roller is opposite the recesses 34 in the metallic rings 13 and 14 it rests on a surface 35 of the insulating ring 16, so that it then does not electrically connect the two metallic rings.

AThe roller 24 is freely mounted on a pin 24a carried in a bifurcated end 19a of a bell crank 19 which is pivoted in the ends of a pair of arms 18, 18a. These arms are integral with a hub 18b which is mounted to rotate on the reduced end of spindle 15, and which is held in place against a shoulder on the spindle by a cotter pin 39. The other ends of arms 13, 1S1 opposite the pivotal point of bell crank 19 are connected by a stud 20. One end of a coiled spring Q1 is connected with this stud and the other end is connected with the arm of bell crank 19 opposite to the roller; this spring is under tension, and, therefore, presses the roller 24 against the inner periphery of the rings 13, 14 and 16. The stud 520 projects through arm 1S and `is engaged by one lug 63 or another lug 64 on a crank 17 rigidly secured to spindle 15. The angular distance between the lugs 63 and 64 is suoli that the angular movement thereby permitted to the spindle 15 without moving the roller 24 is equal to half the angle between the middle points of adjacent stator poles 50. It will be seen, therefore, that I have provided in effect a pin and slot connection between the rotor 48 and the roller 9.4. rfhe crank 17 is mounted on the spindle 15 in such angular position relative to the rotor bars 52 that the circuit for the stator winding 31 is closed while a rotor bar 52 is traveling from C to B or from C to A, and opened while a rotor bar is traveling from A to C or from B to C, as hereinafter explained.

The purpose of the pin and slot connection is to make the force resisting the rotation of the rotor effective to retard the movement of the signal when the latter is moving toward either the clear or the danger position, the direction of rotation of the rotor 4S being opposite for these two movements of the signal.

Referring now to F ig. 5, I have here shown one arrangement of controlling circuits for a signal embodying the holding device H and circuit controller K shown in the preceding views. These circuits are in many respects similar to the circuits shown in my co-pending application here inbefore mentioned. A signal S is operated by alternating current from the secondary 107 of a transformer T Whose primary is connected with power mains 103 to which, alternating current is supplied from a suitable source (not shown). The supply of current to the motor M and holding device H is controlled by a relay R which in turn is controlled by suitable means, such as a track circuit. This relay, as here shown, is of a. polarized type, having a neutral armature 74 and a polarized armature 74a.

The circuit controller K in Fig. 5 is merely a diagrammatic representation of the circuit controller K in the preceding views. In this view the roller 24 is carried by an arm 19b which is mounted freely on shaft 15, and this arm is provided with a slot into which projects a pin 20 mounted in an arm 17h, which latter is fixed on the shaft. This is a diagrammatic representation of the pin and slot connection shown in Fig. 2. A contact finger 120 is adapted to engage a hub on shaft 15, so that an electrical connection from finger 120 to ring 13 is established by controller K when roller 24 is in engagement with a surface 33 on ring 13. This is the equivalent of the electrical connection from ring 13 to ring 14 of controller K, when roller 24 engages the surfaces 33 of these rings.

hen the relay R is energized by current in such direction that its neutral armature 74 closes and its polarized armature 74 remains in the position shown in the drawing, the motor M is energized by the fol.- lowing circuit: From transformer secondary 107 through Wire 79, contacts 74 and 74a, wire 80, contact 65, segment 39, contact 66, Wire 86, Where the current divides, part passing through reactance coil 58, wire 89, motor winding 55 and wire 91 to secondary 107 and the remainder passing through resistance 57, wire 88, motor Winding 54 and wire 91 to secondary 107. The motor is thereby energized and moves the semaphore arm S in the direction indicated by the arrow to the caution position. It is understood that, as in my co-pending application hcrcinbefore referred to, the contact segments 59, 39 and 69 move at three times the angular velocity of the semaphore arm S as is indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 5 by means of reduction gearing. When the arm S reaches the caution position, the motor circuit is opened by segment 39 leaving contact 66. At this point the circuit for the stator winding 31 of the holding device H is closed by segment 59 bridging contacts 40 and 62; the circuit for this winding is the same as the motor circuit just traced as far as wire 80, then through contact 40, segment 59, contact 62, wire 92, contact 120, arm 19h, roller 24, a contact surface 33 on ring 13, ring 13, wire 121, winding 31, wires 90 and 91 to secondary 107. The holding device H becomes effective then to arrest the movement of the arm S and to hold this signal in caution position after its movement has been arrested.

When relay R is energized by current in the opposite direction, that is, in such direction as to reverse the position of its polarized contact 7 4, the circuit for the holding device H is opened and the following motor circuit is closed: From secondary 107, through wire 79, contacts 74 and 74, wire 81, contact 67, segment 69, contact 68, wires 83 and 86, thence through resistance 57, reactance 58 and the motor windings as before. The motor is energized by this circuit and moves the arm H to the clear position at which point the motor circuit just traced is opened by segment 69 leaving contact 68. At this point, however, the stator winding 31 of the holding device H is energized through the following circuit: From secondary 107, through wire 79, contacts 74 and 7 4a, wire 82, contact 60, segment 59, contact 61, wire 92, then as before, through the circuit controller K and the winding 31. The holding device H then operates to arrest the movement of the signal and to hold it in the clear position after its movement has been arrested. Vhen now relay R is denergized, the opening of contact 74 opens the circuit for holding device H and the semaphore arm S returns toward danger position. If, before it reaches the caution position, the relay R is again energized in such direction that contact 7 4a connects with wire 80, then just before the caution position is reached the holding device H is energized by the bridging of contacts 40 and 62 by segment 59, and the holding device then operates to retard the movement of the arm S and bring it to rest at t-he caution position, and to hold it in this position.

It will be seen that in the form of holding device which I have just described, the accelerating impulses are eliminated at any speed of the rotor 48.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of signal embodying my invention, it is understood that various vchanges and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, means for moving it to another position; and a holding device for holding the signal in the latter position comprising a stator having an energizing winding, a squirrel-cage rotor operatively connected with the signal and having the same number of bars as the stator hasA poles; means for energizing the stator winding, and means operatively connected with the rotor for de'nergizing the stator winding while the rotor is passing from.`

such position that its bars are midway between the stator poles to such position that the bars are opposite the middle points of the stator poles.

2. ln combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, means for moving it to another' position; and a holding device for holding the signal in the latter position `comprising a stator having an energizing winding, a squirrel-cage rotor operatively connected with the signal and having' the same numberI of bars as the stator has poles; means for energizing the said stator winding, and .means operatively connected with the rotor for denergizing the stator winding while the rotor is passing in either direction from such position that its bars are midway between the stator poles to such position that the bars are opposite the middle points of the stator poles.

3. ln combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, means for moving it to another position; and a holding device for holding the signal in the latter position comprising a stator having an energizing winding, a squirrel-cage rotor operatively connected with the signal and having the same number of bars as the stator has poles; a circuit for said winding including a source of alternating current, and a circuit controller included in said circuit and operatively connected wit-h the ro-tor for opening the circuit while the rotor is passing from such position that its bars are midway between the stator poles to such position that the bars are opposite the middle points of the stator poles, and for closing the circuit while the rotor is passing from the last-mentioned position to the rst-mentioned position.

4T. ln combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, means for moving it to another position; and a holding device for holding the signal in the latter position comprising a stator having an energizing winding, a squirrel-cage rotor operatively connected with the signal and having the same number of bars as the stator has.

poles; a circuit for said winding including a source of alternating current, a circuit controller included in said circuit, and means operatively connected with the rotor for opening said circuit controller while the rotor is passing from such position that its bars are midway between the stator poles to such position that the rotor bars are opposite the middle points of the stator poles, and for closing the circuit controller while the rotor is passing from the secondmentioned position to the first-mentioned position,

5. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, means for moving atively connected with the signal and having the same number of bars as the stator has poles; a circuit for said statorwinding including a source of current; and a circuit controller included in said circuit and comprising a plurality of circular-ly arranged and electrically connected stationary contact surfaces the number thereof being equal to the number of stator poles, and the angular length of each surface and of the space between surfaces being equal to half the angle between the middle points of adjacent poles, and a contact member oper atively connected with the rotor and adapted to malte contact with said contact surfaces.

G. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, means for moving it to another position; and a holcing device for holding the signal in the latter position comprising a statorl having an energizing winding, a squirrebcage rotor operatively connected with the signal and having the same number of bars as the stator has poles; a circuit for said stator winding' including a source of ciurent; and a circuit controller for said circuit comprising a circular 1ncmber having a plurality of electricallyconnected contact surfaces, the number of said surfaces being equal to the number of stator' poles and the angular length of each surface and of each interval between surfaces being equal to half the angle between the middle points of adjacent poles, and a contact ,member adapted to engage with said surfaces, one of said members being iixed and the other being operatiifely connected with the rotor.

7. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, means for moving it to another position; and a holding device for holding the signal in the latter position comprising a stator having' an energizing winding, a squirrelecage rotor operatively connected with the signal and having the same number of bars as the stator has poles; a circuit for said stator winding including a source of current; and acircuit controller for said circuit comprising a circular member having a plurality of eleetricallyconnected contact surfaces, the number of said surfaces being equal to the number of stator poles and the angular length of each surface and of each interval between surfaces being equal to half the angle between the middle points of adjacent poles, and a contact member adapted to engage with said surfaces, one of said members being fixed and the other being operatively connected with the rotor, and a pin and slot connection interposed between the rotor and the member operatively connected therewith for permitting movement of the rotor through an angle equal to half the angle between the middle points of adjacent poles without causing movement of the last-mentioned member.

8. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, means for moving it to another position; and a holding device for holding the signal in the latter position comprising a stator having an energizing winding, a squirrel-cage rotor operatively connected with the signal and having the same number of bars as the stator has poles; a circuit for said stator winding including a source of current; and a circuit controller for said circuit comprising a stationary contact ring provided with a plurality of inwardly projecting contact surfaces, the number of said surfaces being equal to the number of stator poles, and the angular length of each surface and of each interval between surfaces being equal to half the angle between the middle points of adjacent stator poles, and a contact member pivotally mounted at the center of said ring and operatively connected with the rotor.

9. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, means for moving it to another position; and a holding device for holding the signal in the latter position comprising a stator having an energizing winding, a squirrel-cage rotor operatively connected with the signal and having the same number of bars as the stator has poles; a circuit for said stator winding including a source of current; and a circuit controller for said circuit comprising two parallel stationary contact rings each provided with a plurality of inwardly projecting and opposite disposed contact surfaces, the number of surfaces on each ring being equal to the number of stator poles and theangular length of each surface and of each interval between surfaces being equal to half the angle between the middle points of adjacent stator oles, and a contact member adapted to bridge across the opposite surfaces of said rings, said member being pivotally mounted on the axial line of said rings and operatively connected with the rotor.

10. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, means for moving it to another position; and a holding device for holding the signal in the latter position comprising a stator having an energizing winding, a squirrel-cage rotor operatively connected with the signal and having the same number of bars as the stator has poles; a circuit for said stator winding including a source of current; and a circuit controller for said circuit comprising two parallel stationary contact rings each provided with a plurality of inwardly projecting and oppositely disposed contact surfaces, the number of surfaces on each ring being equal to the number of stator poles and the angular length of each surface and of each interval between surfaces being equal to half the angle between the middle points of adjacent stator poles, and a contact member adapted to bridge across the opposite surfaces of said rings, said member being pivotally mounted on the axial line of said rings and operatively connected with the rotor, and a pm and slot connection interposed between the rotor and the contact member for permitting movement of the rotor through an angle equal to half the angle between the middle points of adjacent stator poles withgut causing movement of the contact memers.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. JOHN D. TAYLOR. Witnesses:

R. L. KrsTLER,

A. HERMAN WEGNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, washington, D. c." 

